8 of the Most Controversial Moments in 'America's Next Top Model' History

America’s Next Top Model, which debuted in 2003 and ran for 24 cycles, revolved around a single question: “Wanna be on top?” The show transformed unknown hopefuls into high-fashion models under the guidance of international supermodel Tyra Banks and a rotating panel of industry insiders. Fueled by high heels and high stakes, it turned the modeling world into reality television, one questionable makeover and judges' panel at a time. 

The show’s competitive spirit was quickly overshadowed by a series of controversies, highlighted in Netflix docuseries Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model. Contestants were instructed to shave their heads and get their teeth pulled in the name of catalogs and casting calls. Some were openly mocked or criticized for their weight; others were singled out over skin conditions like impetigo. One contestant collapsed during a judges' panel, and another returned early from the emergency room, being treated for exhaustion and dehydration, so she wouldn't miss a photoshoot. While shaping future models, the show often blurred the boundary between determination and distress. 

From uncomfortable concepts to morally debatable challenges, these are just a few incidents from America’s Next Top Model that sparked controversy well beyond the final runway.

1. WHEN KEENYAH HILL WAS RIDICULED FOR HER WEIGHT AND TOLD TO POSE AS AN ELEPHANT
2. WHEN GUEST JUDGE JANICE DICKINSON FAT SHAMED ALL THE CONTESTANTS
3. WHEN JAEDA YOUNG WAS INSTRUCTED TO KISS A MODEL WHO MADE DISRESPECTFUL COMMENTS ABOUT HER RACE
4. WHEN TYRA BANKS SUGGESTED KIM STOLZ TONE DOWN HER SEXUALITY
5. WHEN CARIDEE ENGLISH WAS BLAMED FOR DEVELOPING HYPOTHERMIA
6. WHEN THEY SWAPPED THE MODELS' RACES
7. WHEN THE MODELS HAD TO POSE AS HOMELESS PEOPLE NEXT TO UNHOUSED EXTRAS
8. WHEN KAHLEN RONDOT WAS LOWERED INTO A GRAVE FOR A PHOTOSHOOT AFTER HER FRIEND DIED

WHEN KEENYAH HILL WAS RIDICULED FOR HER WEIGHT AND TOLD TO POSE AS AN ELEPHANT

On Cycle 4, Episode 9 of America's Next Top Model, contestant Keenyah Hill was ridiculed for her weight and faced considerable fat-shaming. Following these harsh critiques, she was asked to pose as "gluttony" in a photoshoot and as an "elephant" in another, furthering the narrative that she was overweight despite her healthy build. 

WHEN GUEST JUDGE JANICE DICKINSON FAT SHAMED ALL THE CONTESTANTS

Former high-fashion model Janice Dickinson was at the center of several controversies due to her hot takes as a guest panelist on the show. In Cycle 4, Episode 6, Dickinson infamously called all of the contestants "fat." "They're all fat. The entire room is fat," she told the other judges. On another occasion, she called a contestant “huge” and insisted that her weight would keep her from ever becoming a model. These comments stirred significant backlash and highlighted the show's problematic standards regarding body image.

WHEN JAEDA YOUNG WAS INSTRUCTED TO KISS A MODEL WHO MADE DISRESPECTFUL COMMENTS ABOUT HER RACE

During Cycle 7, Episode 9 of America's Next Top Model, 18-year-old Jaeda Young was told she had to kiss a man who made blatant comments about her race. The male model accompanying her shoot revealed he “didn’t like” African American women, and, in response, Jaeda was understandably unwilling to kiss him. Judge Miss J Alexander told her that the comment should "not have stopped her from doing the job that she was sent there to do," and she was eliminated at the next judges' panel. 

WHEN TYRA BANKS SUGGESTED KIM STOLZ TONE DOWN HER SEXUALITY

21-year-old Kim Stolz competed on Cycle 5 of America's Next Top Model. During her first walk, she told the judges that she had more of a masculine look, and that she was proud to be gay, to which Banks replied, "Like, I’m Black and proud. But I’m not walking down the red carpet like, “I’m Black, I’m Black," suggesting Stolz should tone down her sexuality. Years later, judge Jay Manuel spoke about the incident, stating that he was sitting right beside Tyra when she uttered the statement, and felt very uncomfortable and confused. 

“I was in the room, and I was sitting right next to Tyra. I remember feeling a little uncomfortable with the statement. I could see Tyra trying to draw the parallel and what she was trying to illustrate, and I was confused by it,” Manuel told Variety in 2020. 

WHEN CARIDEE ENGLISH WAS BLAMED FOR DEVELOPING HYPOTHERMIA

In Cycle 7, Episode 12, contestant CariDee English participated in a photoshoot in freezing water, resulting in her developing hypothermia. She began convulsing and was removed from the last 50 frames. Although she repeatedly expressed how cold she was, she was ultimately blamed for allowing her condition to worsen. Video from the shoot captures Carrie visibly shaking as she tries to finish the session under the photographer’s direction. During the judges’ panel, Banks praised the contestant’s determination but emphasized the importance of recognizing her limits and stepping back if her health was at risk.

WHEN THEY SWAPPED THE MODELS' RACES

Several makeovers and photoshoots on America's Next Top Model sparked public outrage, with one of the most controversial taking place during Cycle 4. In Episode 5, the models participated in a photoshoot where they were assigned to portray different races and ethnicities. White contestants were put in blackface, while Black contestants were given features to resemble Native American and Korean individuals. The models were then photographed with children representing the race they were assigned. This racially insensitive photoshoot was repeated during Cycle 13, drawing widespread criticism both times. 

WHEN THE MODELS HAD TO POSE AS HOMELESS PEOPLE NEXT TO UNHOUSED EXTRAS

Another highly controversial photoshoot took place during Cycle 10, Episode 5, where contestants were styled to resemble people experiencing homelessness and photographed alongside unhoused extras. Judge Jay Manuel claimed the shoot was intended to "put a spotlight on a major issue," but viewers widely condemned it as exploitative. Despite being linked to a charity supporting unhoused youth, many felt the photoshoot magnified real struggles for the sake of entertainment.

WHEN KAHLEN RONDOT WAS LOWERED INTO A GRAVE FOR A PHOTOSHOOT AFTER HER FRIEND DIED

Cycle 4 contestant Kahlen Rondot faced a particularly distressing challenge in Episode 8. Just hours after revealing she had learned of a friend's recent death, she was instructed to pose eight feet underground in a grave as part of a shoot themed around the seven deadly sins. Rondot was placed in a coffin and lowered into the ground to represent "wrath." The panel praised her for her professionalism. When she became emotional, Banks told her she did not have to discuss it.